Ron Capps and Tony Schumacher help raise funds for A Soldier’s Child Charity

On Friday evening, NHRA fan favorites Ron Capps and Tony Schumacher attended the 13th annual A Soldier’s Child Dinner Banquet in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and helped raise awareness and money for the nonprofit that has been near and dear to the hearts of Don Schumacher Racing partners Joe and Cathi Maynard since 2008.

The event, made possible thanks to presenting sponsor and Maynard family business ECHO Power Engineering, is the largest fundraiser for A Soldier’s Child which is a national organization aimed at serving the children of fallen military personnel who lost their lives while on active duty.

During the festivities Ron and Tony were introduced on stage to the more than 450 guests in attendance and the multi-time NHRA world champions each donated NHRA trackside experiential packages to the event’s silent auction. Helping to contribute to the more than $230,000 raised for A Soldier’s Child on Friday night, their presence also helped in bringing awareness to the ‘Last Full Measure of Devotion Society’ endowment program.

“We had a goal of $200,000, and thanks to Tony Schumacher and Ron Capps, whose items brought in $15,000, and all of the wonderful, generous folks in attendance last night, we exceeded our goal by more than $30,000,” Joe Maynard, avid drag racing fan and fixture in both the DSR and Ron Capps Motorsports pits, said. “Cathi and I are passionate about veterans, children and the homeless, in no particular order, and A Soldier’s Child helps both veterans and kids, so this is a very important cause for us.

“We’ve been involved with A Soldier’s Child since pretty much day one. Our company, ECHO Power Engineering, was one of the first major corporate sponsors of the organization, and we’re proud to have continued to support their worthy cause for all these years, and now, combine it with our love of NHRA Drag Racing. The money we raised on Friday night will help to provide birthday and holiday gifts for 4,000 children this year, as well as help send kids to summer camps, and provide educational scholarships.”

The Maynards first became involved with NHRA Drag Racing in an official capacity when they joined DSR’s roster of partners in 2021, and since teaming up with drag racing’s winningest organization, they have been vocal about their desire to bring awareness to the charitable organizations they regularly work with. The ASC logo adorns the side of Tony’s Don Schumacher Racing Maynard Family Racing Top Fuel dragster while Ron Capps Motorsports proudly flies the colors on the side of Ron’s NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car.

The most decorated Top Fuel pilot in NHRA history, had this to say about the evening, “What an amazing event. I want to thank Joe and Cathi Maynard for inviting us and introducing us to this outstanding charity. I can’t wait for the people who won the racing experiences to come out and have a weekend they can’t stop talking about, so next year, we can raise even more for A Soldier’s Child.”

“It was an honor to be invited by Joe and Cathi Maynard,” defending NHRA Camping World Series Funny Car champion added. “It was incredible to meet the families and see firsthand how much A Soldier’s Child does for children who lose their parents while serving our country.”

To contribute or find out more information on A Soldier’s Child, visit asoldierschild.org.